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Blaenau
The United Principality of Blaenau is a nation that traces it's roots back to the days of Breakdown Britain, when all the old nations of the British Isles (England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland) split into various factions. After years of warfare with her neighbours, Blaenau emerged victorious and could claim all of the old Kingdoms of Wales, England and Scotland as her own. Etymology Blaenau is named after the old language of Blaenia, which in turn is the root language of modern Welsh. Geography Blaenau now consists of the entirety of the British Isles, including the Channel Islands, as well as all of Scandinavia. They also have colonies in South and North America, the Caribbean, North and West Africa and Oceania, most notably the colony of Australia. History Early History Since the unification of Wales in early AD, Blaenau has always sought independence. However, the House of Blaenau, who claimed heirage to the throne of Blaenau, decided that it would be best to stay unified with Wales, partly due to the military threat from neighbouring England. This changed after the Breakdown of Britain, which saw a mass rebellion of dynasties across the British Isles and a return to the olden days of broken factions fighting over small amounts of land. These early skirmishes saw the rise and fall of some of Britain's oldest families, and resulted in several large factions being formed across the Isles. It is said that Blaenau's rise began at the battle of Penarth against the main opposition in Wales, the House of Camarth. After this battle, Blaenauan Forces swept across all of Wales, from Swansea in the South to Anglesey in the North. Wales was declared united again under Blaenau, and with that attention turned to the English factions, who were still battling amongst themselves. Prince Iain realised that, if Blaenau was to rise to success, all of the isles must be conquered. Hot off of their victories in Wales, Blaenauan forces commanded by the Prince himself invaded England and swept across the midlands and the south, conquering all from Cernau (modern Cornwall) to Caent (modern Kent) and up to Lindissi (modern Midlands). Unlike in the battles for Wales and South England, the fight for control of Northern England and Scotland did not consist of one major battle. Constant skirmishes involving small forces resulted in a temporary halt of the Blaenau war machine. However, this did not last long. Prince Iain sent his forces sweeping across the countryside, killing every last soldier along the way, until they reached the gates of various empty castles. Word had spread of the Blaenauan invasion, and the hostile armies had completely routed. Prince Iain received a letter of surrender from all factions in Northern England and Scotland, thus leaving the opportunity to declare himself Price of all Britain. An invasion of Ireland never took place; Prince Iain already had a strong claim to the throne of King of Ireland. When the old King died without a heir, he found himself next in line. At first, this was not a popular move; however, massive investment in the Irish economy, along with bribery and assassination of hostile claimants to the throne saw Ireland united under the Prince. Since then, the British Isles have been united under one family. No serious challenges have been made to the rightful ownership of the throne, something very uncommon in Old Europe. Modern History Since the unification, Blaenau has seen many conflicts and wars across Europe and the world. After the invasion of Scandinavia by Blaenau, there ensued a battle between the Tsars of Russia and the Princes of Blaenau over control of Finland. Eventually, a truce was called by Russia and it was agreed that Finland would be controlled by Blaenau. The Imperial days of Blaenau began with the discovery of the New World. After establishing colonies across the Americas and Africa, the Princes turned their attention to Oceania and the Far East. Attempts to take control of parts of the Far East proved to be completely unsuccessful, with multiple heavy defeats against the forces of India, China, Japan, and French and Dutch colonies already established there. Things proved more successful in Oceania however, with Blaenau gaining control of both Australia and New Zealand, both of which remain under the Princes today. Government and Politics Blaenau is a Constitutional Monarchy. Whilst the Prince is Head of State, the every day running of the country is left to the Prime Minister. Parliament consists of four main sections: *The Prince **The Senate (elected House of Parliament) ***The Government (governing party of the Senate) ***The Official Opposition (largest minority party) **The House of Lords (unelected House of Parliament) ***Hereditary Peers ***Life Peers ***Lord Cardinals The Government is elected in a first-past-the-post system: whichever party has the most Members elected is asked to form a Government by the Prince. The government then propose Bills to the Senate, who debate and vote on them. If a Bill is passed by the Senate, it is sent to the House of Lords. The House of Lords go through a similar procedure, and then vote again. If they too pass it, the Prince is asked to give it the Royal Assent and make it part of the Law. If the Lords reject it, it is sent back to the Senate, who alter the Bill and vote once again. This can happen a maximum of three times; if the Bill still does not pass the Lords, the Government has two options. They can either resign the Bill, or they can use the Parliamentary Necessity Act to force it past the Lords. However, the Lords then have the opportunity to appeal to the Prince to not grant the Bill Royal Assent; this is the only time a Bill cannot by given the Assent, and the Prince is not obliged to withhold Assent; it is up to him, and him alone (although he may take advice from the Lords and the Prime Minister) Demographics The majority of Blaenautes (those who live in British Isles or Scandinavia) are of Celtic or Viking origin. However, a large percentage of Caucasians are found in the South of England, as well as Denmark and Finland. Due to the colonial nature of Blaenau, there are also people of Black, Asian and Latino origin to be found. Today, it is difficult to gain entry to Blaenau, unless you are a citizen of a Blaenauan colony. This is because immigration in the mid 20th Century put a strain on services and the economy. Language Most Blaenauans speak Welsh as their first language. English is spoken in parts of England, as well as some of the colonies. During official meetings with Head of States, the Prince speaks English; however, when meeting with Heads of Colonies, they speak Welsh as a sign of solidarity across the Empire. Category:Blaenau Category:Former nations of significant size Category:2009 disestablishments